Needle



July], 1930.

w. STRICKER NEEDLE Filed April 28, 1928 INVENT'OR WZ'ZZz'a m IS/ZTZCHET',

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fy iizw, ATTORN EY.

Patented July 1, 1930 v UNITED STATES-PAT NT FF E- WILLIAM STBICKER, on Kansas CITY, MISSOURI NEEDLE Application filed April 28,

' latch needles such as are employed in repairing knitted goods ofa fine quality of silk, cotton thread, etc. With knitted goods of the foregoing character it often happens that the thread breaks and causes a run or ravel in the fabric.

The method employed in mending the article consists in looping each portionofthe thread forming the run withthe succeeding portion and securing the last loop formed at the end of the run with a piece of thread corresponding to the threads from which the article is manufactured. v

With the latch needles usually employed in mending the fabric the latch of the needle use and consisting of a staff, a handle 6 formed at the rear end ofsaid staff 4, a hook must be forced open by pressing against the thread. This method of opening the latch is slow, tedious, and trying both to the eyes and patience of the operator as each separate thread must be picked up by the hook at the forward end of the needle and if the latch is not open when the needle'is advanced said latch will become entangled in the fabric and possibly result in dropping the stitch or breaking the thread.

My invention overcomes the foregoing objection by providing mechanical means for automatically and positively opening the latch at the proper time. This speeds up the work to such an extent that the threads can be picked up faster than the eye can see and therefore relieves the eyes of strain.

In addition to being used manually my needle can be readily adapted for use on automatic knitting machinery with which more or less difficulty is now experienced by the old type of needle dropping stitches and breaking threads, thereby forming runs which'must be repaired manually when the work is taken from the machine. The foregoingdifliculty can be eliminated by the use of my needle as the latch thereon is automatically and positively thrown open at the proper time and hence cannot becomeentangled with and break threads or cause the needle to drop stitches.) I

In order that the invention may bev fully understood reference will now be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

.1925. Serial No.127a549.

Fig. 1 is an enlarged broken side elevation of the needle with the latch open.-- f I Fig. 2 shows the latch closed against the tension of-the spring meanswhereby it is automatically opened.

Fig. 3 isan enlarged detail-side elevation of, the spring means for automatically opening the latch.v i 7 Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show a series of diagrammaticviews of the method of repairing a run with a manually operated needle embodying my invention.

Fig. 7 shows a modifiedform of needle adapted for use in a knitting machine.

L Referring in detailto the; different parts,

2 designates the needle arranged formanual be more readily inserted between the closely arranged threads of the'fabric' than is pos-.

.sible with the blunt needle in general use.

The side 14 of the staff has a longitudinal recess 16 for the reception of the'spri'ng' 12' so that the surface 17 of the latter will be flush with the surface of said side 14 and thereby enable the spring 12 to pass through a loop with the needle without catching upon the thread. V

The latch 10 is mounted at one end upon a pivot 18 whichextends through the opposite sides of the slotted portion 20 of the needle. The spring 12, which is formed from asuitable length of spring metal, is spot-welded or otherwise fixedly secured near its rear terminal 22 to the staff 4, while its forward end 24: is curved to enter the slot 20 and engage the latch 10 at a point in advance of the pivot 18 for the purpose of automatically throwing said latch to open position.

In practice, when mending a run in a silk stocking or other knitted article, the partto be mended is stretched over the fingers, a cup, a glass. orother suitable support. The operator first inserts the hook 8 through the loop'a at one end of the ravel and then advances the needle until said loop a slips over the free end of the open latch 10 and the hook is engaged with the succeeding thread 5, as shown by Fig. 4. The needle is then pulled backwardly and carries the open latch 10 against the loop a which closes said latch against the tension of the spring 12, as shown by Fig. 5. The latch lOis held in closed position by the loop at until it passes out of en-- gagement with said loop a afterwhich said latch is instantly thrown .to the open position disclosed by Fig. 6, by the spring 12 and isready for the next forward movement of the needle, thereby making more rapid progress possible than with the old type of needle as there is no danger of the open latch 10 catching in the threads or fabric on the forward stroke. The foregoing operations are repeated until the run is repaired,'whereupon theend issecured by a thread or stitch in the usual manner to prevent the entlre repa1r from raveling out, I From the foregoing description 1t 1s apparent that I have provided a needle embodying the advantages above pointed out, and

while I have shown a preferred form of said 7 needle I reserveall rights to such changes and claimed. 7 p v q Having thusdescribed' my invention, what modifications thereof as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:'

A needle consisting of a staff having a slot in its forward portion and a lonlgtudlnal recess in one side and extending backwardly from the rear end of the slot, a hook at the forwardiend of said stafi, a latch having one end pivotally mounted within the slot, and a long spring arranged in the longitudinal recess and bent at its forward end to project into the slot and engage said latch a short distance in advance of its pivotal point.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM STRICKERL 

